Saw this on the shelves and recognized it as a new high gravity series and had to pick it up. Interesting logo, looks like some clown batman would have beaten up or something, anyways... Poured from the bottle into a pint glass, beer is black as night (no pun intended) and has a creamy looking, one finger, brown-tan head. The smell is wonderfully complex; chocolate, roasted coffee, raisins, figs, dates, cherries and only a faint backdrop of the massive alcohol that lies hidden below. Making anything that has this much alcohol and still smells this great and not like rocket fuel is impressive. The taste showcases the dark fruit flavor, with an initial sweetness that then transitions to a warming alcohol bite and finishes with the roasty, toasty coffee/chocolate flavor. The alcohol is not quite as subdued as well as it was in the nose. The mouthfeel is full bodied and silky with a creamy carbonation. Overall, a dangerously drinkable beer. This could possibly be my new favorite beers and is definitely in my top 5. I hope to venture back to New Holland again and be lucky enough to try this one on tap. (1,114 characters)

Pours black. An agressive pour reveals a small pumpkin pie orangeish tan head that quickly recedes. No sign of bottle conditioning in the pour. Aroma is a nice strong roastiness dominating, a chocolatey fudge mixes in but is more subtle, soft and sugary. A hint of the alcohol, slightly bourbony in the nose as well. Taste follows with a nice coffee roastiness mixing with a great chocolate flavor, a very nice balance between the two. A bourbony twang towards the finish and perhaps just a hint of anise. Low level of carbonation lets you feel the thick malts resting somewhat heavily on the tongue, what carbonation there is is fairly creamy. Seems to be very little hop presence in the taste or feel. Just a hint of the alcohol warmth although pretty well hidden. A very good beer, I especially enjoy the feel although wonder how this will develop with some age. Definitely enough sugars here to last a bit although the seemingly low hop presence and low carbonation may affect the outcome. (993 characters)

This is the sort of dark brown/black cherry colored liquid that is opaque enough to act the part. But just like those kids next to you in the Neon with the tooth-shaking subwoofers and tilted baseball hats, it's not really black, but it tries really hard. And here, it's more or less close enough. Not much head to speak of, only a wispy and shifting tan lace.The nose shows chocolate fudge, caramel, vanilla, coffee, dark rum, and evergreens. It pretty much nails that trifecta of big American Stouts: Heavy sweet, powerful roast, and biting hops. A quadfecta if you count the notable booziness. It's the sort of thing that seems perfect for Bourbon barrels, but also nearly suggests that it has already seen them. A blanket of milk chocolate is laid across the mouth first, which is then danced upon by a succession of dark fruits. Dates, plums, black cherries, blackberries. A subtle smoke and grilled meat impression arises, then is immediately forced to the background by the insistent confectionery vanilla-caramel nougat. And it rides this crest for quite a while as it lingers with nearly no deterioration in either flavor pronunciation or specification. After a bit, it segues in to a creamed coffee liqueur, with further booze flares of grapey and vinous brandy. The closing wintergreen hops provide a bittering contrast, but are far more subdued than their appearance in the nose would indicate. Sweet rules the day here, and loudly. If it lacks a tad of complexity, it only would have been drowned out anyway. This is virtually still, and ostensibly drinks a bit like slightly thinned maple syrup. But there is a perfect ember of carbonation deep within, and this serves to prevent this from cloying, despite the rampant sweetness. It's brothy thick, but it shuttles itself unfailingly down the throat to warm the innards. It never feels gluttonous...more like Chicken Noodle Soup on a sick day as it provides nutrition and sustenance and warmth. It feels good for you, and you take it in as such.

This has all the elements of cult status except the cult. (2,072 characters)

22 ounce bottle (I love the "double-deuce") pours dark as hell with a decent dark head retention. The bottle itself is interestingly simplistic with a yellow outlined jester's head and yellow lettering on the brown bottle. The price was good ($6.99) making it a great deal. I have found that Stone releases some excellent beers at a great price, unlike so many other high gravity brewers. Anyhow, the smell is somewhat boozy, but not overwhelmingly so. Notes of coffee, molasses, and a little dark chocolate permeate the nose. Wow, this smells like an Imperial Stout for sure. The taste is sublime. The foretaste is subtle, leaving barely a whisper of stout on the tongue, but as it goes down the throat it really opens up with a heavy malty, sweetness that perfectly compliments the alcohol in this brew. Too often Imperial Stouts emphasize the alcohol or hide it. Stone has blended the two here almost perfectly (not Three Floyd's Dark Lord perfectly, but close). The mouth feel is great, the drinkability is amazing. I could definitely drink this beer over and over again and experience a subtle nuance each time. All in all, a truly complex, fully satisfying Imperial Russian Stout. (1,186 characters)

I tend to be cautious about New Holland brews, as they produce more misses than hits for me, but I decided to give this a whirl when I saw it on tap...and I think I'm going to stick to the Dragon's Milk as my token New Holland brew of choice.

The pour on this is standard for the style, nothing particularly special, but nothing wrong with it either. Nose, also average for the style, some roast, a hint of chocolate and dark fruits, but Imperials are supposed to be big, and this didn't go huge in any category here.

The flavour...was not good. The beer starts off pleasantly enough with soft chocolate and relatively subdued roasted tones. About midway, all I could taste was toffee though, it completely dominated the flavour, and was extremely cloying. I like sweet beers in a general sense as well, and I drink heavy beers all winter, this was unpleasant. Some alcohol presence on the finish.

In terms of the mouth, the beer is fine for the style, big and thick. Not much carbonation, as expected. In terms of drinkability, I have to drop the elbow on this one though...it's a more expensive beer because it's high gravity, and it's easily one of the worst in its style that I've had.

The bottom line: If you're looking for an excellent American Double Stout there are a number of bottles you can choose that are local to Michigan (Founders Breakfast and Kentucky Breakfast) or elsewhere (Southern Tier Choklat) which will destroy this beer at about the same price. (1,474 characters)

Pours a dark, seal brown body with a high viscosity and mahogany hues at the top edges of the glass. Despite a vigorous pour, there is almost zero head, save for a nickel-sized patch of large tan bubbles in the center. Second fill produces a sluggish head, but it dissipates quickly. The aroma is a step in the right direction: rich notes of roasted coffee, dark chocolate, and over-ripened fruit. Alcohol presence is strong.

Big-time roasted notes abound in the flavor. Imagine equal parts malted barley, cocoa beans, and ground coffee all toasted to a crisp. Hints of smoke and an unabashed alcohol presence, here. The alcohol doesn't really pair too well with the roasted notes, making this a tough one to stomach. A bit of chalky metal lingers on the finish, after a punishingly bitter coffee & dark chocolate aftertaste (more of a RIS than an american double). Overall, this was a disappointment. It wasn't balanced well and was too resinous for my liking. Night Tripper has a few merits, but lacks the qualities of a great Imperial Stout. (1,105 characters)

It pours out black as night, with basically no head. No carbonation slowly emerged and formed a little layer, but there wasn't much to it. It looks thick. The aroma was hard to detect - what I noticed was dark chocolate and a generic dark, roasted sweet smell. The flavor was better - it was sharp, boozy, with the tastes of coffee, black licorice, and a nice dark fruity, raisiny flavor that continued to grow as time went on. My wife tasted it and said it was like a burned coffeepot, but she's not a stout fan in the least. In the mouth it was syrupy and smooth, with very little carbonation. It went down fine, but the alcohol content will hold you back some. It's a good stout, but not great, especially when you try it the day after the release of Kentucky Breakfast Stout. (812 characters)

My older brother Mike was kind enough to share a 22 oz. bomber of the Night Tripper with me. I didn't even know it existed until he showed it to me! I'm always up for another Imperial Stout, so I said bring it on!

A: It seems like I always say that heavy stouts "poured like motor oil" in my reviews, but I think I never understood that phrase until the New Holland Night Tripper. This beer is pure black and viscous as all get-out. There's almost no head to it; what carbonation you do see takes a moment to appear, as the tiny bubbles have to force their way up to the surface.

S: Aromas are rather simple: on the sweeter side, with some roasty characteristics. I'm catching some molasses.

O: Good. I'm always a fan of Imperial Stouts, and this seems like a fine addition to the category. Although drinking it, with it's sharp alcohol bite and thiiick character, gave me chills. (1,059 characters)

Puchased a bomber at 44th and France in Edina; my first sighting of it anywhere.

Cool creepy label. I like the sinister jester.

Poured into a pint glass a little light. Color during the pour was more dark tea than black. In the glass, just the edges shown a tinge blood brown. Otherwise just as black as you'd expect from the style. Relatively thin head. Lacing wasn't anything noteworthy.

It smells like a stout. Nothing really stands out. Taste is good, a very respectably balanced stout. The bitterness of the coffee is offset by the sweet of chocolate.

Mouthfeel was a nice surprise due to the thin appearance during the pour. Not overpowering, but much chewier than standard stouts.

Check this out if you see it. There's room for improvement but it's no slouch.

This brew pours dark brown, basically black, with a syrupy disposition. There is practically no head with only the thinnest ring of tan bubbles around the glass giving any indication that there is carbonation present. Aromas are very enjoyable with a heavy sweet malt, figs, and a noticeable alcohol smell.

The first pull was interesting. The first things that hit me were sweet malts and alcohol, but it would be unfair to judge this by those items alone. The complexity of this brew is truly fantastic, with all sorts of flavors coming together like chocolate, licorice, vanilla, and a bit of a whiskey warmth at the end. The mouthfeel is silky and smooth, much like the Dragon's Milk from the same brewer.

I liked this one quite a bit but the only criticism I might give it is that there was practically no carbonation. It would be nice with a few bubbles. It's rather warming on the way down and at such a high gravity it doesn't take long to catch up to you. Recommended. (1,028 characters)

To say the least, this is a monster beer, a complete monster. Loaded with vanilla, chocolate, figs, prunes..etc. Very strong and it does not hide it. Tastes great with all those same flavors, and a nice bitey, hoppy finish. Whiskeyish on the back with a bit of drying alcohol flavors as well. A dark, opaque beer, with little head(only drawback). A heck of a good brew that I plan on buying as soon, and as much as possible. (424 characters)

Taste - An explosion of dark chocolate and coffee at first, followed by tangy piney hops. Finishes with some burnt toast and plenty of booze.

Mouth feel - Full bodied. Thick and chewy. Low carbonation.

Drinkability - Not bad for being so boozy. I felt the alcohol was a bit harsh and distracting. Other than that, is was a solid Imperial stout. Laying this one down for a year might do it some good. Worth a try! (573 characters)

Poured from a 22 oz. brown bomber into a Sam Adams pint glass.A: Jet black color, frothy liquidy brown head that bubbles away slowly, leaves a brown ring around the sides of the top of the beer. Some spots cling to the glass and slide into the beer after a bit. Later pours get some more "sheety" lacing, nicer.S: Chocolate, sugars, a little bitterness in the malts, too, but mostly creamy. Some roasted malts and coffee. Deep whiffs yield smooth malty smells, almost buttery? Well-blended malts, nothing really stands out above the rest, but the mix is great.T: Chocolate and coffee flavors up front. Tiny hop notes in middle, slightly bitter, oily or piney? Then a smooth malty finish that has dirty malts, some chocolate, soft but tingly almost. Maybe some vanilla?M: Smooth, with some nippy bitterness scattered throughout the drink. No alcohol feel/taste. D: Pretty darn good. Tasty and drinkable. Hides the 10% ABV very well. (936 characters)

Pouts jet black, with no highlights. Nice mocha head holds together well for a few minutes. Not much lace to speak of.

Roasty, a bit spicy in the aroma. Some dark chocolate, and a bit of milk chocolate in the nose. Pretty nice. A hint of alcohol as well.

Nice roasty flavor. I felt that there was quite a bit of a milky, creamy, chocolate vibe going on here. A hint of some spices going on in the background. maybe just some earthy hops playing around with me.

Night Tripper pours as dark as the name implies. Not a hint of light shines through the onyx body. An aggressive pour yields a finger of beige head that quickly falls to a thin skimming and ring. The head that is left leaves some nice drink lines on its way down.

Right away alcohol fumes tickle the nose hair. There's some roastiness upfront but dark fruits outshine the malts. Figs and plums come to mind. There's a solid dose of anise coming through along with hints of dark chocolate and a tendril of smoke. The alcohol is tough to pick up unless I smell deep. The fruitiness dominates and really sets things apart.

Everything mentioned in the aroma is here in the flavor. Things meld together nicely in the mouth. The fruitiness leads the way throughout, and oddly enough seems to sport some Bing cherry, with just a touch of sweetness. Dark chocolate sneaks its way through stepping upfront briefly. A mild roastiness and spicy alcohol show through occasionally from the back. The alcohol grows a little spicier on the swallow but never gets in the way. Incredibly creamy smooth dark chocolate on the finish.

The body is on the heavier side but feels a bit lighter than it should upfront. That changes quickly as it becomes smooth and creamy. The carbonation may be a touch too high but that's just me being picky.

The big abv hampers the drinkability but this is an enjoyable stout to put down. Without a doubt a sipper with the big flavors. This bomber will be enough for a night.

I'm already getting a little warm around the gills after killing off half a glass. This is one to take your time with. A good nightcap perhaps. Either way I'll be picking up a few bottles for the cellar. It's good now but I think it could really improve over time.

Notes: This needs to be consumed fairly warm. Toward the end of the bottle is when the aroma and flavor really explodes. (1,912 characters)

S - Chocolate dominates, with wood like tannins, anise, coffee, and sherry and all quite present, and seem to blend very well. Interesting and balenced.

T - Very chocolaty and balenced, with a good hop kick in the finish. Lots of cedar and smoke noted throughout, as well as a good douse of pine from the hops. The earthyness of this Imperial Stout is a good balence to the restrained sweetness of the entry.

M - Supple body with silky mouthfeel. Good.

D - This is the type of Imperial Stout people want to drink. Dry, big, and very enjoyable. Might not be the most complex example of the style, but still very good. (754 characters)